


Just Friends

by alliaskofyou



Series: Lance Ship Week 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Eventual Happy Ending, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Whump, Langst, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Unrequited Love, Vomiting, hanahaki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 15:40:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15440277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alliaskofyou/pseuds/alliaskofyou
Summary: Lance contracts Hanahaki Disease and refuses to let anyone else find out. He fails.





	Just Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 of Lance Ship Week: Friends/Family

Lance isn’t the first one in his family to develop Hanahaki Disease, so, when he retches bloodied sunflower petals into the toilet, he knows his fate. He rests his head against the rim of the seat and sighs, a shaky, rattled sound, indicating that more petals still lie in his lungs. He stands and dresses, thoughts flickering to the cause of his ailment. 

 

Hunk.

 

He always knew he loved Hunk. They’d been best friends since the first day they met at the Garrison. Inseparable. He didn’t always know he was in love with Hunk. At least, not until this morning, when he smelled Hunk’s cologne as he vomited the petals, when the image of Hunk laughing as he stirs his new connection of goo food he made especially for Lance’s picky appetite conjured in his mind as he dry-heaved. 

 

But it makes sense. It’s not the love he thought he would have, the all-consuming, mind-altering, heart racing, chest constricting love that makes it impossible to think clearly; but, rather, it’s the steady love that promises a future. It’s a safe, secure love that wraps Lance in its warm embrace and swears to be true in all possible ways. Lance wishes he had just known sooner, before the disease took hold, because then maybe he could cherish it more. Now, even the thought of Hunk makes his head dizzy and his chest ache.

 

As he prepares for the day, he tries to decide how he will tell his friends he’s dying. The cure for the disease is out of the question. He refuses to lose all memory of Hunk, refuses to lose the beautiful pain that results from the thought of loving him. But now that Lance fully understands his feelings for Hunk, and knows Hunk doesn’t return them, he can’t tell the team who is at fault for the disease. That’d be immensely embarrassing and Hunk would feel terrible. So, Lance will suffer silently, will die silently, basking in the lovely yellow petals that have him rushing to the bathroom once more. 

 

\---

 

The team doesn’t find out till later that afternoon. Hunk passionately talks with Lance during lunch about how he is going to try to make this new meal for them. The way he lights up, a brilliant burst of energy, has Lance reeling. He stumbles toward the nearest bathroom. Soaked petals and sore throat. 

 

Shiro talks urgently with Allura and Coran to see if they can develop the cure on the ship, but Lance interrupts them with a broken yelp. “I don’t want the cure!”

 

The team doesn’t react well. 

 

Pidge is a ball of fury, scolding Lance and telling him how dumb he’s being, how selfish.  

 

Keith fumes in his seat and joins in with Pidge’s arguing, desperately trying to convince Lance to take the cure. 

 

Lance turns to Hunk. He won’t even meet Lance’s gaze. Lance realizes Hunk must know. He feels shame burn bright in his gut and he stands, shakily, and pushes past the worried gazes to his room. 

 

He curls up in a ball on his bed and sobs. His sore throat aching even more. 

 

\---

 

He must have fallen asleep because he wakes to a gentle knock on the door. “Lance, can I come in?”

 

“Yes.” Lance’s voice is hoarse from crying or vomiting, he isn’t sure which. 

 

Hunk frowns and his brows furrow when he sees Lance curled up on the bed. “Oh, Lance.” He steps forward, but Lance holds a hand out to stop him, not sure if he can take the close proximity. 

 

“Lance, what’s wrong?” Hunk continues to approach and sits next to Lance on the bed. “How can I help?” He reaches out to run a hand through Lance’s sweaty hair. Lance feels a searing pain burst in his chest. 

 

He rushes to the bathroom, but doesn’t quite make it to the toilet. Blood coats the petals that float toward the ground. The disease is progressing very quickly. Maybe it’s the close proximity to Hunk. Maybe it’s the intensity of Lance’s love. Lance isn't sure, but he bets he only has a few days left. 

 

He hears Hunk’s angry footsteps. “Lance, you are getting the cure. I don’t care if you lose all memory of the person you love. To suffer and die like this? It’s not going to happen. I won’t let it happen.” Hunk fumes. He begins to pace back and forth, hands running through his hair and pulling tightly at the ends. 

 

“Hunk-”

 

“I’m not letting you do this!” Hunk scowls, turning to him. “You’re not dying because some idiot won’t love you back.”

 

Lance feels the tears burn his eyes. “You’re the idiot, Hunk. You’re the idiot who won’t love me back.”

 

Hunk gapes at Lance. 

 

“I didn’t mean that.” Lance laughs brokenly. “Not the love part, I do love you, but the idiot part. You’re not an idiot, Hunk. It’s not your fault.”

 

Hunk falls to his knees in front of Lance and Lance scoots closer, cradling Hunk’s face in his palm. “I love you, but it’s okay that you don’t love me back.” Lance shrugs helplessly. “It surprised me, too, if I’m being honest; but I feel it so strongly, I know it’s true. We’ve been friends for so long, buddy. I don’t expect you to feel that way. In fact, it’s kind of rude of me to spring this on you.” Lance pauses as Hunk closes his eyes. A tear drips down Hunk’s cheek. 

 

“Lance, you’re the idiot.” 

 

Lance feels more tears fall. He expected Hunk to at least feel a little remorseful. Not that he blames Hunk, but this _is_ Hunk after all. He cares so deeply. Lance thought he would care about his dying, pathetic friend that’s in love with him.

 

“Right. Okay. I’ll just-”

 

Hunk’s eyes fly open and Hunk leans forward, catching Lance’s lips with his own.

 

Lance’s eyes are wide and shocked, watching Hunk’s eyelids flutter closed as he kisses him gently, as if he’s breakable. The ache in Lance’s chest eases, slowly and surely. The all consuming pain isn’t present. There is a dull ache, but nothing compared to what it was before. 

 

Hunk leans back and brings Lance’s hand to his lips. He kisses the inside of his wrist and smiles shyly at Lance. “Lance, I’ve loved you for so long.” Hunk whispers.

 

Lance opens his mouth and closes it, completely shocked. A tight sob escapes his lips and he’s immediately wrapped in Hunk’s arms, cradled against his chest, enveloped in his love. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! <3  
> I have opened commissions! [Bay's Ko-Fi](http://alliaskofyou.tumblr.com/post/176322514333/buy-bayleigh-a-coffee-ko-ficombayleigh)


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